


Walking The Wire

by LadyMorgaine76



Series: Much Ado About Watford [5]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell, Simon Snow & Related Fandoms
Genre: Communication, Developing Relationship, Difficult Decisions, Families of Choice, Forgiveness, Friends to Lovers, Hope, Idiots in Love, M/M, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:42:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27183997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMorgaine76/pseuds/LadyMorgaine76
Summary: "If you're afraid of falling, then don't look down..."It's time for Dev to let himself free of all fears and doubts and go get his man!It's also time for Baz to freak out...But on the end side of all of this, they might all one day look back and remember when former enemies, new lovers and friends became much more.......when they started their journey to become a Found Family.
Relationships: Dev/Niall (Simon Snow), Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Series: Much Ado About Watford [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653943
Kudos: 17





	Walking The Wire

**Dev**

Someone should probably tell me not to do this…

"Don't do this!"

Not you, you git!

Baz keeps hovering like he's my mum or something. 

"At least call him!" He keeps on. "Don't just spring on Niall like this!"

I stop folding clothes and he seems relieved.

Poor sod… he thinks he's won…

"I'm not going to take advice on how to run my love life from _ you! _ " I poke Baz on the chest. He's wearing one of Simon's Uni tees. How fucking adorable…

(Simon's back at Uni. Psychology with Clinical Psychology at the University of London! How ironic…) (Baz's still at LSE, but now he wants to be a teacher.)

"What's that supposed to mean?" Baz sneers at me. 

"Until you guys came back to Watford for the war, your love life was a mess. You were trying to convince Simon to go back to therapy all the while thinking  _ you _ didn't need it too!" I remind him. "You're my cousin and I'll always love you, even when you're an insufferable idiot. Which you are, Baz!" I point at him, cutting his answer off. "Being an intellectual genius and being emotionally an idiot aren't mutually exclusive!"

"Fine… I'm not the best person to tell you what to do. But I still think you should call him first…"

**Baz**

I can't help but to remember Penny and the way she rushed (all of us, really…) to America without warning Micah first…

A LOT could have been avoided if she'd known she wasn't welcome there anymore.

I mean, I'm aware Micah was a fucking idiot, (Penny can be overbearing, but I'm on her side on this subject!) (She's my friend.) and that Niall was head over heels for my cousin and that he'd probably enjoy knowing that he's finally being reciprocated, but…

...thing is…

It's been months.

Merlin knows what's going through Niall's mind nowadays… and through his life!

I don't want to see Dev broken hearted in the case that Niall decided to move on.

"If you don't call, then I will." I tell him.

He looks at me and I can see he's displeased with me.

"Don't you dare! Don't you fucking dare, Basilton!"

Full name.

Three syllables.

Everyone thinks they can impress me with the usage of my complete middle name…

Even Simon does that sometimes.

(He does it more for the sarcastic value than because he's mad at me.)

(His fury is always silent. He presses his lips tight, points his chin at me, but doesn't say a word.)

I know this tosser since we were both on nappies. 

"Watch me, Devlin!" The game's afoot, my boy!

I pick up my mobile and he freezes instantly.

"Baz? Come on… don't do this…"

I point at his mobile on the nightstand.

"Then you do it! This is not a  _ friendly surprise  _ visit, Dev. I know what the fuck you're going to do! At least warn him that you're going to Berlin, see how he reacts to that and then plan this trip with more detail, but especially with a clear mind and a clear objective... please…"

I never (almost never…) say please. I think that is what finally gets through to my cousin. He goes to his mobile and looks at me.

**Dev**

I don't need to tell Baz I need to do this alone.

He looks back at me, smiles and leaves the bedroom, closing the door on his way out.

Shit…

What if he doesn't want me there?

Shit. Shit. Shit.

No. Stop. You're overthinking.

There's something I saw on Tumblr…

_ "Who told you that?" _

No one. I'm the one who's already imagining things and listening to my intrusive thoughts.

Niall told me before he left to call him. I do that occasionally. He's always happy to speak to me.

Always.

So I call him…

It rings…

One time...

Two times…

Three ti…

"Hey! Dev!"He picks up and all of my anxiety dissolves right there. He's happy. He picked up and he's happy! 

"Hi, Niall… listen… I was thinking…" I try to sound natural. 

"All alone?" He giggles. 

"I can have good ideas while thinking by myself, thank you very much…" I'm smiling too. I missed this.

"Let's have it then!" 

"If I was to, theoretically, go spend Reading Week in Berlin?" And there's my blood pressure spiking again…

There's a moment of silence on the other side…

_ Please, please, please… _

"Only if you promise me you'll actually read, in-between me showing you Berlin!" There's something in his voice…

I wonder.

Shit…

"I miss you." I blurt out. Like an idiot. "A lot…"

"I miss you too, Dev…" A pause. I can listen to his intake of breath. (Please, please, please…) "A lot. A whole lot." Another pause. A small chuckle. He sounds...nervous? "When are you coming?"

"As soon as I finish packing…?" I say.

"Hmm…" Another chuckle. This one sounds somewhat more relaxed. "Let me check something." Silence… "You have one leaving Heathrow at 15:55. You'll land at Tegel Airport at 18:50... if there's no delays."

Wait…

He wants me there _ today _ !

He really does!

I get my laptop out, turn it on and go straight to the British Airways page.

There it is.

The flight he mentioned.

I book it (business… I don't like economy.) and the reservation email appears almost instantly.

It's ten in the morning. I have time.

"Done!" I send him the flight number. "Do you want me to take anything from home?" I ask.

"Just go get ready!" He tells me. He's laughing now. "And don't lose the flight!"

"So, you don't need --"

"I need you to get your arse here before the day ends, Dev… that's all I need." A deep breath. Then a sudden exhale. I could swear I heard him murmur  _ "wow...ok". _

I'm…

I guess…

I'm going to Germany!

"See you soon." I manage to say.

"You bet!" Niall says.

I don't even register who hung up.

There's a whole lot going through my mind now…

"Baz?"I call "BAZ!!!"

Shit…

I only have five hours… no, four. I need to get there early!

I'm really doing this!

*****

**Simon**

Baz hasn't stopped smiling.

We're driving back to our apartment after watching Dev's flight take off and he has a wide smile on his face.

Dev wouldn't stop chattering all the way to the airport. He'd occasionally look at his mobile (Exchanging messages with Niall…) and giggle.

Siegfried and fucking Roy!

And at the airport, Baz went mother-hen mode.

_ "You packed enough clothes?" _

_ "Got your books?" _

_ "You didn't forget your medicine, did you?" _

_ "You warned your parents about this, right?" _

It was the right mix between hilarious and endearing…

(Baz' more sentimental and caring side is always endearing to me.)

(Side effects of being stupidly in love, I guess…)

Dev is finally going to get his love life in order (I hope) and my boyfriend will finally start worrying a tad less about his cousins' issues of the heart.

I love that smile on him.

I love that he smiles a lot these days.

I love that he makes sure I know I'm the reason he smiles more often.

Kind of reassuring to see that no matter how broken we all were, we're getting through.

Things are getting better. Easier.

Me and Baz…

Penny and Shep… (duh!)

Dev and Niall seem to be a given also.

Even Agatha is back on our group of friends. For real!

We talked with her, Baz and I…

We owed it to her.

She's cool now.

We're all finding our way forward.

But the best thing?

Those ways run side by side!

********

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
